Together Again
by Errol's Feather
Summary: This takes place about twenty years after the book Fang. The flock is living separate lives not seeing each other that often, but when Fang post on the blog that he wish to see them they all come together for one night to catch up on all that has happened lately. Warning: Might be some strong content.


_**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Maximum Ride and I don't make any money from it, all the characters belong to the wonderful James Patterson._ **  
**_

_**Author's Note: **_I wanted to try to write a story about what happened after the books and what the flock had turned into, but still try to keeping them as they were. This is how I picture it.

I chose the name Liberia as it means freedom and Celeste due to Angel's old bear._ **  
**_

_**Warning: Mention of Rape and death.  
**_

* * *

_**Together again**_

Fang's arm was caressing over Max's naked backside, stroking past her white and brown wings, caressing back and forth over her lower back. Her eyes were closed and she was enjoying every moment of this. It was so great to finally have him back, after him being gone for almost eight months. She sometimes hated the fact that he had joined the army, she only supported it because he loved it so much. After all he was the master of blending in.

She let out a sigh of satisfaction whispering, "Couldn't you just say like this forever?"

"I honestly could say that I could," he said, smiling, bending down to kiss the top of her shoulder, where it was a tattooed black feather with a heart inside. Silly, then again Maximum had taken it when she was twenty and he had called away for his first assignment. That way he would always be with her she said.

Just then as all seemed perfect the peace was broken by a tiny little voice screaming, "Mommy, mommy."

Max sighed, saying, "That was that for peace." She slowly dragged herself up and out of bed as he just laid there smiling at her. She gave him an annoyed glare saying, "Get up and start breakfast, or I'll be late for dropping her off before I have to go to work."

"Yes, Ma'am," he said in an obedient way as he slowly got up from the bed and headed in direction of the bathroom to have a quick shower before doing as she asked.

* * *

In another house Iggy was getting dressed as he heard his wife rumoring around in the closet for something. He smiled wondering when she would ever remember when she put stuff and asked, "What seemed to be missing this time, dearest?"

"My green top," Ella answered with a sigh.

"Hamper, try the purple instead," said Iggy with a smile.

Ella ran to the hamper only to confirm this wondering how he knew, then again he usually always did. She walked over, giving him a peck on the cheek saying, "You had that staff meeting later so you won't be home for dinner right?"

"That's right, how about a late dinner instead?" he questioned.

"I can do that, I'll just work over at the shelter, there is plenty to do now, with the new puppies we got in yesterday," said Ella with a sigh. She was working as daily leader of an animal shelter for those that were left behind or treated badly, nursing them back to health before giving them new homes.

"Maybe we should bring one home?" he suggested. They had discussed the matter of children for some time, but due to his avian DNA he was afraid that would transfer to any child he might have. Still they had tried, but without success so far and he knew Ella really wanted one. Maybe a puppy could be a solution for now.

"Really, you really mean that Ig?" she asked him, he could sound by her tone she seemed to be excited about it.

"Sure why not," he said with a smile.

"You're the greatest," she said and kissed him smack on the lips.

He just chuckled, glad that she was happy as he slowly packed some things he needed in his backpack, before walking downstairs. He was at the moment working for a school for blind children. He had for some time now and he really loved it. Ella followed him into the kitchen where he would make her breakfast as always.

* * *

Nudge clicked the password to her work computer, especially designed for her and by her so no one else would get it. She smiled browsing through some files. She really loved this job, she got to hack into all kinds of information and use it to help people. She figured it wasn't without reason that after the huge disaster FBI hired her to do just that.

She could find out everything about everyone. Right now she was however not working, she was reading Fang's blog. He still kept it up to date so people would know what he was doing. Mostly for them to know he was still alive. As an army man he would always be caught in crossfire she figured. Then again they were all used to it after growing up fighting and endless line of battles. She smiled as she read:

_**Back Home**_

_After almost eight months I'm finally back home. No more bombs and shooting for now. No more bad meal, lack of showers, fearing for your life, fearing you won't come home to your loved ones. Well, at least for now as I have to go back out when they tell me, after all it is my job and I am proud of it. I'm glad that after all that has happened over the years they let me join the army and fight for my country. _

_Before I started doing this almost twenty years ago I never thought of the impact it would have on me. I mean growing up on the battlefield fighting to survive and to protect friends, risking getting killed what felt like every day. I didn't think it would be different, but now I know otherwise. _

_My friend Joe, let's call him that as I cannot tell his real name to privacy issues. Well he died a couple of days before I was sent back home, we've been fighting together for years, and I almost consider him as a brother. He didn't even have a problem with the wings that some have. I had his back and he had mine. He died leaving behind two little girls._

_It is in cases like these I think of my little Liberia, what would happen to her and to my beloved Max if I didn't return. I'm so glad I have you guys, I love you to bits. You know what she said when she saw me, she's three now so she can say a lot, but her only words were, "Daddy, I love you." She's the love of my life just like her mother, with her little dark brown eyes and her black hair. Her wings are dark brown. I was a little surprised she would have them when she was young as she…well she wasn't like us. Still she did. Not that I love her any less, neither of us does._

_I also wanted to direct some words to the rest of my family out there, or the flock if you like. Gazzy I know your work is as risky as mine if not even more if something goes wrong, please be careful, and don't forget to come by your big brother one of these days, I miss you, man. _

_Nudge, I know you are reading this, my little computer wiz, you are in my thoughs whenever I post a new blog. I trust you to do one hell of a job for the Feds, I know you've found your calling and I'm proud of you. Think Max said you would come by the day after tomorrow, can't wait to see you._

_Iggy, if you are reading this, or rather if Ella is reading it to you, hang in there it will happen for you two as well, I just know. You two are more than welcome to come any time, I know you both are working hard as well, but don't forget us in the middle of everything._

_Angel, one day you may rule this country, but please wait until you are a little older, go out and have fun for now. You grow old fast enough in any case, we may have grown a bit while fighting to stay alive, but that is behind us now. You'll always be mine, our little angel. Just be careful so nothing comes back to bite you._

_I love you all and to everyone that is following this make every day count because you don't know when it will be your last._

_Fly on,_

_Fang._

Nudge smiled; sometimes she missed how they used to be a flock. They didn't see each other that much anymore and she were really was looking forward to see at least Fang, Max and Liberia a couple of nights later. She could hardly wait to tell them about her new love interest, they had just moved in together. Someone that made her heart beat. A sigh of happiness left her lips as one of her coworkers poked her head in saying there was a meeting. Nudge nodded and followed her to the ensemble room.

* * *

"I win again, sweet," Gazzy said with a smile. He had just disarmed another bomb, although it would have been so much cooler to see it blow up. He could never forget how he and Iggy used to blow things up when he was younger. A chuckle escaped his lips thinking about it.

Now he was doing the opposite as he was working for the bomb squad, disarming bombs. Who was better than him to do something like that? After all he knew how they all worked, down to the tiniest little part.

Iggy, he hadn't talked to him in a couple of days, he hoped he was okay. Maybe if he was lucky he would meet him at Max's in two short days, he had read Fang's blog on her cell phone a little earlier and had decided to go. After all he did miss the old flock and he could use a day off and have some laughs. Maybe he could even stay there for two days, after all it wasn't that often he saw his family.

Family, he knew he should have started thinking about having his own, but that hadn't been in the cards. He had had some love interests over the years, but that was about it. It all seem to end and in the end he liked his own company.

He walked back to his coworkers with the disarmed bomb getting praised. They asked if he wanted to come out with them later, but he declined. Not tonight, tonight he wanted to be alone. He told them some other time, smiling at them. Glad to be included, after all in a way they were his family. He smiled as he told them to have fun and have a drink for him. The promised they would. As Fang flew back home he promised himself to call Iggy later or the next day.

* * *

Angel was working the late shift at the bar. She had been a bartender there for a couple of years and she ended up liking the place. Only trouble was that the young woman needed to start to look for work elsewhere as she was pregnant.

That wasn't planned, nor how it happened, but she rather not think about that. It was still a painful memory. She sighed heavily as she heard her coworker and girlfriend Celeste say, "Hey Ang, are you okay?"

"No, far from it," she said with a heavy sigh.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" the other woman asked, placing her hand on her shoulder.

"Actually yeah, you remember the incident?" she asked, looking deep into Celeste's light green eyes.

"Where he…Of course, how can I forget, you came home all messed up. It's not like you to be scared easily," said Celeste, holding her lover close.

"He…hurt me. One thing is if I asked for it, but I didn't. He came from nowhere when I was on my way home, and he was so much stronger. In normal cases I would have controlled his mind to get him off me, but this time my mind blocked out," she said.

"You know you shouldn't do that in any cases even if you can," said Celeste in a soft tone.

"I don't very often, there is rarely any need and I've never done it with you," said Angel, her tone equally soft. She truthfully never had and she knew she never would.

"I know, but why are you thinking back to that now, I thought you, I mean we were trying to put that behind us," said Celeste, stroking her cheek.

"I was or rather am, and that would have worked well had I not found moments ago I'm pregnant. Oh Cel, what am I do to, I don't want his offspring," Angel whispered.

Celeste's eyes widened as she looked at her lower in shock. She took a deep breath thinking that would explain why Angel had been so ill lately. She held her closer, saying, "Whatever you decide, I'm here for you."

"Thanks Cel, I don't know what I would have done without you," she said, hiding in her shoulder.

"You are more than welcome, my angel," the other woman said, giving her a soft kiss.

"Would you mind if I went away in a couple of days, I read on Fang's blog they are meeting at his house and it has been ages since I saw them last," said Angel. She had checked out the blog moments before she found out.

"No, not at all, I think a little family time would be good for you," said Celeste, smiling.

"I would agree, I'll take you with to see them next time," Angel promised, making her nod. The two just stood there holding each other for a long time, before letting each other go, so they could get back to work.

* * *

It was two days later that Angel and Gazzy ended up flying into each other on their way to Max and Fang. The old siblings hugged each other and Angel held on to her older brother a bit longer than usual before breaking free.

He gave her a look of concern, but she just said, "I'm fine, I'll tell you about it when we get there, so how are you?"

"Great, work is great, I was invited out by the guys the other night, but needed some rest, so let it be," he said with a smile, his brown wings adjusting a bit as he made a turn.

"Wise decision, so any woman in your life yet?" she asked with a smile.

"Hardly have the time for other than work, what about you then?" he asked.

"There…there is someone," she said, blushing mildly.

"You finally found someone, Angel, that's great," he said and beamed at her, knowing she had wanted to be with someone for quite some time now. She however seemed to remain single up to now. He always believed that her having to trust people had a lot to do with it.

Angel giggled; she'd missed that smile and his excitement. Luckily over the years one thing that hadn't changed was that. Giving him a friendly pat on the back she said, "Do you know if Iggy and Nudge are coming also?"

"Iggy is, talked to him yesterday, not sure about Nudge," he said as he started to go in for landing as they were nearing Max and Fang's house.

She landed as well and they both knocked on the door at the same time, making more giggles escape them. Max was the one to open her brown hair seemed to have gotten recent pink highlights and she was wearing dark blue jeans and an old ragged t-shirt. By the looks of it from some kind of concert.

She smiled seeing them saying, "I didn't know you were coming as well, come in."

They quickly did and as they came in they hugged her, before going into the living room where they found Fang and Liberia. Angel walked over and hugged her oldest brother, greeting him, before turning her attention to the three year old that was playing with a train and some train tracks. She smiled at her asking if she could play also, and Liberia handed her another train.

Max smiled by the sight of this, Angel playing like a little girl, something she hadn't had the chance to do, she grew up too fast due to the circumstances. Liberia seemed overjoyed to have her auntie Angel to play with.

Gazzy had now gone over to hug Fang and the two men were now in a discussion over something that happened in the field with Fang and his buddies. Max sighed wondering where the time had run off to; they used to be small and were her responsibilities. Now they were all grownups with their own responsibility.

Just as she was about to join them she heard another knock on the door, it was Iggy and Nudge, meaning the old flock was again gathered under the same roof. Max smiled as she let them in, glad they had found the time to come.

It was a bit later in the evening, after they had eaten, Liberia was playing with one of her bears making Angel say, "Do you guys remember my old bear?"

"You mean Celeste, how can I forget," said Max rolling her eyes, thinking back to how Angel always wanted it with her.

"Do you still have it?" asked Fang, flipping dully through the channels.

"She's on a shelf at my place, but that was not what I was going to tell you," said Angel, taking a breath.

"Really, what was it then?" said Nudge, looking at her with curious eyes.

"I've meet someone, we really like each other, her name is Celeste and she's working at the bar with me," said Angel, waiting for their reactions.

Gazzy spit the soda out saying, "You're someone is a woman."

"I so didn't see that one coming," said Iggy, as shocked as his old partner in crime.

"How long have you been together?" Nudge wanted to know.

"Are you two serious?" asked Fang. Max was the only one not speaking.

"We've been together for about five months and I would really like for you to meet her next time we are together, so yes it is serious. I never intended to fall for her, it just happened and due to her name I thought maybe it was a sign," said Angel.

Gazzy that finally had managed to grasp what she was saying said, "I told you before and I stand by I think it's great, even if it's a woman."

"Thanks, we've been through a lot together and we still have challenges ahead," said Angel, she swallowed and looked down.

"What's the matter?" Max finally spoke, looking at her younger sister with over worried eyes.

"I was closing up almost two months ago. Jared had to leave early, but I said it will be okay as I have done it plenty of times before. I closed up and all and started to walk home to the apartment Celeste and I share, it isn't that far, ten minutes tops. And I can always fly if something happens. So I was walking, when someone threw me on the back and held me down in a grip so thigh there was no way I could get lose. I tried to flap my wings but he was too heavy and I couldn't get him of me because he was too strong….He…When I finally managed to get home I fell apart and Celeste was comforting me. I was finally starting to put it behind me or rather we were, when I found the other day I was pregnant and I don't know what to do," she fell apart in front of them.

All eyes were on her as she sat there crying much like a broken angel. They all looked at her more or less in shock, knowing this wasn't something she made up. Someone had hurt their little angel gravely, someone had hurt their little baby girl.

Max walked over and put her arms around her, holding her tight, letting her cry as Gazzy said, "Let's find that bastard and let him pay."

"I'm so with you on that one," said Iggy, slapping his hand even if he couldn't see.

"Easy there, you don't even know who he is, or can you tell us anything useful?" asked Fang in a calm tone.

"Only that he had dirty big hands, his breath smelled, and he smelled as bad as his breath. I couldn't read his mind because I was panicked," she managed to get out after calming down a little. Again she started to cry, this time hiding in Max's shoulder.

"It will be okay, he won't hurt you again," said Max in the softest tone.

"What are you going to do about the baby?" Nudge asked. She knew it was probably not the right time to ask, but she figured now was as good as any.

"Not sure, I think I'll let it be born and take it from there, abortion feels wrong to me," she said with a heavy sigh. Then she gathered herself asking, "What is new with you?"

Nudge was the first to ask, her dark eyes sparkled as she looked at them saying, "I've meet someone also, his name is Brain and we've been together for about three months now. We work together as well, so we are being very sneaky about it. No dating policy. He's really the greatest."

"Way to go, Nudge," said Gazzy, patting her on the back, Iggy did the same.

"I'm so glad to hear that," said Angel, smiling through her tears.

"I know it's very early still but he's someone I can picture myself with," said Nudge, blushing shyly, making everyone go, "Awwww."

Then Nudge turned to Iggy asking, "So what's new with you and Ella?"

"We've been as you know trying to have a child, so far no luck. Not sure why as everything should work. We have on the other hand adopted a dog only two days ago, we call him Rufus. He's adorable, his owner used to beat him and his siblings, so I told Ella that she could bring him home if she wanted to," he said with a smile.

"Picture?" Nudge asked, looking at him with curious eyes.

Iggy took up his cellphone and showed it around making everyone comment on how cute he was and that he seemed lovely. Iggy turned towards Max and Fang saying, "We shared our stories and Fang we know about from the blog, what about you, Max?"

Max sighed heavily as she said, "Well Liberty has started to use her wings now so she's twice as much trouble as she loves to run away and hide from me. She's getting faster by each day and the daycare are having trouble to keeping her under control, or so they told me yesterday. They are afraid to have her outside with the other children in case she someday should fly off. On the other hand she doesn't understand why they don't have wings or why she has to keep inside.

Workwise I've been offered a fulltime job with overtime, but I find that hard as I got Liberty to think of as well. And when Fang is gone that is very hard as I would have to get a nanny and who is skilled to take care of a flying disaster," she said, her head in her hands in mere frustration. She was working for the human rights division in United Nations.

"You were offered a better job, why didn't you tell me, sweetheart?" Fang asked, looking at his wife.

"Why does it matter, I have to turn it down," she said with a heavy sigh.

"I don't want you to do that, maybe I could be home with her," he offered.

"We both know you can't do that," she said.

"I could ask for a short time leave, at least until we found a solution," he said with a heavy sigh.

"Which is what?" she asked, still frustrated. Sometimes she wished that little Liberia was born without wings or didn't know how to use them.

"You just have to teach her when she can fly or not," said Angel calmly, knowing that most likely would be the hardest thing in the world.

"Or how far," Iggy interrupted.

"Not helping," said Max with a heavy sigh.

Liberia looked at Max frustrated face. She walked over to her and said, "Mommy is sad?"

"Yes, sweetheart, I just don't know what to do," said Max, looking into her dark eyes.

"Fly with me," Liberia whispered.

"That's it," Angel said beaming.

"Sorry what?" asked Fang as everyone looked at her with confused eyes.

"She's flying because she wants your attention, if you fly with her a little every day there would be no need for her to do it alone," said Angel, making Liberia nod eagerly.

"Okay, little one, you win, lets fly," said Max with a soft smile, taking her hand walking towards the door.

Fang put and arm around her waist as he followed them outside. The others right behind. Slowly they took off and flew side by side into the evening sky like they had some many times before. Laughing and talking like no time had flown by at all. Happy about being together again, feeling safe and protected, like nothing could harm them as long as they stood together as a family.

* * *

Thanks for reading, feedback is always most welcome.


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